Hygrobiidae

Common name:

Screech beetles

Number of species:

1

Size Range:

10-10mm

Tarsi:

5-5-5.

Images:

Description:

This family is represented by a single species in the British Isles, the screech beetle Hygrobia hermanni (Fabricius). A large (9mm) yellow and black water beetle, it is found in ponds and ditches, often in the soft mud where both adults and larvae are predatory. It can stridulate loudly when disturbed, hence the common name.